Righteousness in Hardship and Success

Text

English translation

孟（mèng）子（zǐ）谓（wèi）宋（sòng）句（gōu）践（jiàn）曰（yuē）：（）“（）子（zǐ）好（hào）游（yóu）乎（hū）？（）吾（wú）语（yǔ）子（zǐ）游（yóu）：（）人（rén）知（zhī）之（zhī）亦（yì）嚣（xiāo）嚣（xiāo），（）人（rén）不（bù）知（zhī）亦（yì）嚣（xiāo）嚣（xiāo）。（）”（）曰（yuē）：（）“（）何（hé）如（rú）斯（sī）可（kě）以（yǐ）嚣（xiāo）嚣（xiāo）矣（yǐ）？（）”（）曰（yuē）：（）“（）尊（zūn）德（dé）乐（lè）义（yì），（）则（zé）可（kě）以（yǐ）嚣（xiāo）嚣（xiāo）矣（yǐ）。（）故（gù）士（shì）穷（qióng）不（bù）失（shī）义（yì），（）达（dá）不（bù）离（lí）道（dào）。（）穷（qióng）不（bù）失（shī）义（yì），（）故（gù）士（shì）得（dé）己（jǐ）焉（yān）。（）达（dá）不（bù）离（lí）道（dào），（）故（gù）民（mín）不（bù）失（shī）望（wàng）焉（yān）。（）古（gǔ）之（zhī）人（rén），（）得（dé）志（zhì），（）泽（zé）加（jiā）于（yú）民（mín）；（）不（bù）得（dé）志（zhì），（）修（xiū）身（shēn）见（xiàn）于（yú）世（shì）。（）穷（qióng）则（zé）独（dú）善（shàn）其（qí）身（shēn）；（）达（dá）则（zé）兼（jiān）善（shàn）天（tiān）下（xià）。（）”（）

Mencius said to Song Goujian, “Do you enjoy persuading rulers? Let me tell you how to conduct yourself when seeking to persuade rulers: remain at ease whether people recognize you or not.” “How can one attain such composure?” he asked. Mencius replied, “Honor virtue and delight in righteousness. A scholar in adversity does not abandon righteousness; when successful, he does not depart from the Way. In hardship he keeps hold of himself; in office he does not disappoint the people. The ancients, when successful, extended their benefits to the people; when unsuccessful, cultivated themselves and made their virtue visible. In adversity they cultivated themselves alone; in prominence they brought good to all under Heaven.”

Text size

Line spacing

Righteousness in Hardship and Success

Contents

Text

English translation

Feedback

Text

English translation

Original Chinese text

English translation